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TDC recommends opening vacation rentals

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Tourism.

MANATEE COUNTY – The Manatee County Tourist Development Council (TDC) took the first step on Monday to reopen vacation rentals countywide, including on Anna Maria Island.

TDC Chair and Manatee County Commissioner Misty Servia persuaded fellow TDC members to recommend that Manatee County commissioners remove the COVID-19 prohibition on short-term vacation rentals.

Under Gov. Ron DeSantis’ plan effective Monday, county commissioners can submit a plan to the Florida Department of Business and Professional Regulation for approval to allow short-term vacation rental properties to reopen to guests. The plan would likely require working with owners and managers of vacation rentals to come up with strategies to meet the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) requirements for disinfecting and cleaning of units between guests.

Elliott Falcione, executive director of the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB), said that he’s been working with other west coast Florida county leaders to help develop a plan for vacation rentals that would provide some consistency for owners and visitors.

Servia added that coordination with the leaders of the three Anna Maria Island cities, where many of the county’s short-term rentals are located, would be a key component to success. Falcione said that no matter what plan is enacted, it will be up to the city leaders to oversee the operation of the vacation rental properties.

Local vacation rental owners who spoke during public comment said they are ready to reopen their units to visitors and are willing to abide by any necessary regulations to keep their properties safe for renters.

The recommendation passed in a unanimous vote. Members Ed Chiles, an Island restaurateur, and Wayne Poston, mayor of Bradenton, were absent from the meeting.

Marketing during COVID-19

The new short-term marketing recovery plan, debuted by Falcione and Dave DiMaggio, has two implementation phases. Phase one involves bringing visitors in from drivable markets, including Tampa, St. Petersburg, Orlando, West Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties and Atlanta with plans to expand the advertising area up as far north as Memphis and Nashville and as far west as New Orleans.

Palm Beach, Miami-Dade and Broward counties are the worst three counties in the state for COVID-19, with nearly 27,000 cases, according to the Florida Department of Health.

Manatee County has 867 cases as of Monday.

DiMaggio said that when deciding which markets to spend advertising dollars in, the overall health of the area and whether it’s a COVID-19 hotspot will be considered first along with how economically stable the target markets are.

The second phase involves bringing airline passengers back to the area. DiMaggio said that the success of phase two involves coordinating and sharing data with local airports, including Tampa International Airport and Sarasota-Bradenton International Airport. For some of this data, he said he would be looking closely at the information provided by Anne Wittine of Research Data Services, the county’s tourism consultant, to see how comfortable people feel about travel and flying to their vacation destinations.

Wittine presented the results of a travel sentiment pulse poll which showed numbers trending upward over the past two weeks toward people being more comfortable with travel and ready to take a vacation. While 52% of the people polled are concerned about reopening the state too quickly, Wittine said that 15.9% of people say that travel is essential to them and they’re ready to get back out there. Of the people who participated in the poll, Wittine said she’s seeing a trend toward people’s intent to travel increasing in the late summer months, specifically July. She added that of the people willing to travel, 78.2% of them feel most comfortable traveling by car, which lines up with the first phase of the TDC’s new marketing plan.

DiMaggio said the second phase includes continuing to target drivers and targeting fliers from the Midwest and northeast of the United States.

He said he expects that some segments of the market will be slower to recover, including people who travel for sporting events, work conferences and travelers from the United Kingdom and Central Europe.

Falcione said that he would be utilizing a month-to-month budget approach, periodically re-evaluating how and where the CVB’s limited advertising budget is spent to determine where those funds will have the most impact to help get the local tourism economy back up and running.

The TDC next meets June 15 at the Bradenton Area Convention Center in Palmetto.

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Mayor issues executive order for vacation rentals

Building moratorium expires this week

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News, Featured.

ANNA MARIA – The 60-day emergency building moratorium enacted on March 4 will expire on Wednesday, May 6.

The Anna Maria City Commission reached this decision with a 3-2 vote during the commission meeting conducted telephonically on Thursday, April 23.

Commissioners Joe Muscatello, Mark Short and Amy Tripp opposed extending the emergency moratorium for another 60 days. Commissioners Carol Carter and Jon Crane supported the extension.

After Crane’s first motion to extend was voted down, he made a second motion proposing a 30-day emergency moratorium instead, which failed by the same 3-2 vote.

The commission currently has no plans to implement a previously discussed six-month moratorium.

Why the moratorium?

Adopted before the coronavirus pandemic impacted Florida, the emergency temporary building moratorium was enacted to slow what was then perceived as a boom in the construction of single-family residences, including vacation rental homes.

The moratorium was enacted to provide the building department time to conduct a comprehensive review of the city’s building codes, and to suggest code revisions and new codes to better address drainage and flooding, construction staging and parking and more.

During Thursday’s meeting, City Planner Chad Minor said he and Building Official Luke Curtis have made significant progress in reviewing those codes.

During a previous commission meeting, Mayor Dan Murphy said he did not expect the building boom to continue due to the financial impact the pandemic would have on those who invest in vacation rental homes.

The emergency moratorium also provided Murphy time to research the implementation of a new impact fee program to be applied to the construction of new single-family residences.

During Thursday’s meeting, Murphy said he expects to have that program in place as early as August. He said impact fees will help pay for stormwater and drainage improvements, street and road improvements, recreational improvements and improvements that address sea-level rise.

After lifting the moratorium, the commission unanimously authorized Murphy to enter into a $39,100 professional services agreement with Raftelis Financial Consultants. That firm will assist in the creation and implementation of an impact fees program. Murphy said the consulting fees can be recovered through that program.

Commission comments

“It seems like we’ve got a good handle on this. I am for not continuing it,” Tripp said regarding the moratorium.
Muscatello asked Murphy if he was satisfied with the progress made.

“We’re a lot further ahead than what I thought we would be,” Murphy said.

Crane mentioned the continued volatility that surrounds the pandemic and the pending recovery process.

“It seems to me, with the governor and the county commission relaxing social distancing and other coronavirus communication measures, we may well go back into if not a boom, a quasi-boom,” Crane said regarding the potential demand for new construction.

“If we let the permitting go forward without impact fees, we’re missing out on the impact fees. We’ve been missing out on impact fees for years and it hurts us. There’s potholes everywhere you turn and there’s flooded streets everywhere you turn. I would like to see the moratorium continue – not just for the rest of the work that Chad’s doing, but also until the impact fees that we decide upon are in effect as well,” Crane said.

“I don’t disagree with what Commissioner Crane said regarding the impact that construction is having on the infrastructure of the Island, but I don’t believe there is a need to continue any type of moratorium with respect to new construction,” Short said.

Carter said she wanted to continue the moratorium for another 60 days because she agreed with Crane’s comments and she wants the building department to have more time to catch up on its backlog of work.

“I would imagine as soon as we stop any sort of moratorium, we will have a great flood of additional applications that would be made,” Carter said.

Public comments

Mason Martin Builders’ owner Frank Agnelli and Duncan Real Estate owner Darcie Duncan implored the commission to end the moratorium.

“Clearly we’ve had an issue with this pandemic. Our phones have stopped ringing. Therefore, we are still working on what we’ve already had going,” Agnelli said.

He noted the efforts to “jump-start the economy” would start soon and extending the moratorium would add confusion and uncertainty to that process.
“We’re already on our knees. We’re at the point where we are going to be running out of work. People aren’t jumping to buy or build or do any kind of renovations. There’s a lot of people out of work and I don’t think this is going to help. Half the houses on the Island were taken off the market because everybody knows nobody’s buying. I think this would really hurt us to push this thing another 60 days,” Agnelli said.

“From the real estate sales side of things there is no business going on whatsoever – and being on our knees is an understatement,” Duncan said.

“Regardless of what the governor is going to do, we see no one coming back. I think extending the 60 days does nothing except almost put a bullet in our heads. Our businesses are completely stalled. To think the faucet is just going to turn on with a flood of business is absurd. I just can’t stress enough how devasting this would be to extend it,” Duncan said of the moratorium.

Commission to consider ending building moratorium

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy and the Anna Maria City Commission will discuss the possibility of ending the emergency building moratorium on Thursday, April 23.

According to the meeting agenda, the commission is also scheduled to discuss the pier restaurant lease proposals recently received from the Ugly Grouper ownership group and restaurateur Sean Murphy.

The commission will also discuss a funding request from the Center of Anna Maria and Murphy will provide the commission with a coronavirus update.

City Hall remains closed to the public and the media. Thursday’s telephonic meeting will begin at 6 p.m. To attend by phone, call 1-646-749-3112 and when prompted enter the access code: 564682437.

Moratorium discussion

The commission could also enact another short-term emergency building moratorium that would extend the existing moratorium, enacted on March 4, for an additional 60 days – an action that could be taken as an alternative to pursuing a previously-discussed six-month moratorium that could replace the current moratorium.

The emergency building moratorium was enacted before the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic became a major concern and the commission’s decision was unrelated to the pandemic at the time.

During the commission’s April 9 meeting, Murphy said the emergency building moratorium and the subsequent six-month building moratorium may no longer be needed. He attributed this in part to the pandemic giving the building department time to begin its thorough review of the city’s building codes in anticipation of amending and updating those codes in the coming months.

Murphy also said the emergency and six-month moratoriums may not be needed if the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic result in fewer investors looking to purchase vacation rental homes.

The emergency moratorium was enacted in part to temporarily halt the construction of new single-family homes while the mayor and commission research the potential implementation of an impact fee program. If implemented, the impact fee program would result in builders paying impact fees upon the completion of their single-family residential construction projects.

The impact fees would be used to help pay for street and road projects, drainage and stormwater projects, recreational elements and sea-level rise projects necessitated in part by the increased number of large vacation rental homes that now populate the city.

During Thursday’s meeting, the mayor and commission will also discuss hardship appeals for builders and property owners if the building moratorium is continued. And Murphy will provide an update on the pursuit of an impact fees program.

Local entrepreneurs give to save animals

Local entrepreneurs give to save animals

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Retail.

ANNA MARIA – Mark and Christine McConnell are not your average business owners. The two created a line of t-shirts, hats and other items sold at the Pineapple Marketplace but most, if not all, of their profits go to help local animal rescue nonprofits in the area.

The foray into retail is a new venture for both of them, Mark said in a conversation with The Sun. The couple has two lines of shirts called AMI Guy and AMI Gal and featuring a distinctive turtle logo. The shirts are all long-sleeved and provide 98% protection from the sun.

“It’s just a really good product,” Mark said of the shirts.

When he came up with the idea, Mark said he taught himself how to use Photoshop and Illustrator to design and digitize the drawings for the lines’ surfboard and turtle designs. With some help from other local business owners, including friends at HowLuckyAMI and the Pineapple Marketplace, Mark said AMI Gal is now out-selling AMI Guy, the original line, and they’re looking to add new designs in the future.

The turtle logo is a best seller for the AMI Guy and AMI Gal lines. – Submitted | Mark McConnell

One thing you’ll notice upon seeing the couple’s booth at the front of the Pineapple Marketplace, a Pine Avenue store featuring 30 vendors selling everything from crafts to clothing and jewelry, is the signs on top of the clothing racks advertising that purchases help fund local animal rescues.

Mark said that he’s been donating to local rescue organizations since his arrival in Anna Maria Island seven years ago. After being joined by Christine, the idea to give as much as they could to the animal rescues evolved into the business they now run using local printers and suppliers to create their products. In the past three months, he said they’ve been able to donate $3,000 to local rescues. Some of the rescues they’ve helped include Anna Maria Island Turtle Watch and Shorebird Monitoring, UnderDog Rescue of Florida and Forget-Me-Not, a large dog/pitbull rescue in Bradenton.

“We’re trying to just keep getting as much money as we can to rescues,” Mark said.

Christine said that the rescues they’ve donated to so far are ones that they’ve had experience with. The couple adopted one of their puppies from UnderDog and Christine volunteers with Forget-Me-Not. As for AMITW, Mark said he has a lot of respect for the work the organization does and that “it’s a great cause.”

The couple said they’re open to helping additional organizations in the future.

In the future for their clothing line, Mark is working on websites for the AMI Guy and AMI Gal shirts as well as new designs. The physical retail space is planned to remain at the Pineapple Marketplace where the couple also volunteers.

Bradenton Beach issues parking enforcement announcement

Bradenton Beach issues parking enforcement announcement

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Bradenton Beach, Community News, Featured.

BRADENTON BEACH – In anticipation of Easter weekend, the city of Bradenton Beach has issued a public service announcement regarding parking enforcement.

“Parking to be strictly enforced. Barricades and closed municipal parking lots. While under a declared local state of emergency, law enforcement will be strictly enforcing illegal parking and unauthorized vehicles in barricaded areas. C.O.B.B (city of Bradenton Beach) will be issuing tickets and may use the services of authorized towing companies,” the city’s public service announcement says.

“Please do not park your car illegally. Please do not disturb any barricades. Please do not park in the First Street North municipal parking lot or the Coquina and Cortez county beach parking lots. If you have been towed, call the C.O.B.B Police Department at 941-778-6311,” the public service announcement says.

Bradenton Beach issues parking enforcement announcement
The city of Bradenton Beach issued this public service announcement Thursday afternoon. – City of Bradenton Beach | Submitted

Island-wide concerns

Earlier in the day, the Holmes Beach Police Department issued a public service announcement pertaining to parking enforcement.

During Thursday afternoon’s telephonic Anna Maria City Commission meeting, Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy referenced that announcement that he said he had only recently been made aware of.

At 11:27 a.m. on Thursday, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer emailed Murphy a copy of the Holmes Beach Police Department’s public service announcement.

“Wanted to give you a heads up on our plan for parking. We are hearing that people are planning to come to the beach for Easter Weekend willing to take a $50 parking ticket,” Tokajer wrote in his email to Murphy.

On Wednesday evening, an informal message that originated from the city of Holmes Beach was shared with city officials in Bradenton Beach. That informal message addressed concerns about the possibility of “people planning on filling up cars with people and taking the parking ticket to go to the beach this weekend.”

That shared information contributed to the city of Bradenton Beach issuing its public service announcement Thursday afternoon.

In response to what was happening elsewhere on the Island, Murphy told the Anna Maria commissioners he would be devising a contingency plan that afternoon with Sgt. Brett Getman from the Manatee County Sheriff’s Office Anna Maria Unit.

Murphy said that contingency plan would address any potential impacts the parking enforcement efforts taking place in Holmes Beach might have on the city of Anna Maria and its residents.

As a last resort, Murphy said he could consider establishing a checkpoint at the entrance to the city of Anna Maria that would limit access to the city and result in some vehicles being turned back toward Holmes Beach. Murphy said he does not want to take that action, but would consider it if absolutely necessary.

In 2017, Murphy briefly limited access to the city during the initial cleanup efforts associated with Hurricane Irma.

Bradenton Beach issues parking enforcement announcement
The parking lot at Bayfront Park in Anna Maria remains closed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Beaches closed?

On Thursday, March 19, Manatee County issued a press release that said, “County and municipal officials today announced that the beaches of Anna Maria Island will close tomorrow, March 20, at 6 a.m.”

The county announcement resulted in the public parking spaces at Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach being closed. It also resulted in the public parking lot at Manatee Public Beach in Holmes Beach being closed.

However, local law enforcement agencies in all three Island cities are still allowing people to gather on the Island beaches in groups of less than 10 people and gather at least six-feet apart from other beachgoers and groups.

Local law enforcement officers conduct regular patrols of the beaches, but they have not been ordering people off the beaches or issuing citations to those on the beaches, many of which are located near street end beach access points.

Bradenton Beach issues parking enforcement announcement
The Coquina Beach parking lot in Bradenton Beach remains closed. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Related coverage

Holmes Beach parking closed for beachgoers

Coquina Beach parking limited

Coquina Beach south parking lot closing Monday

Celebrate Easter with Roser Church

Celebrate Easter with Roser Church

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Churches, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Congregations may not be able to gather this year due to the governor’s orders to stay at home and not gather in groups of more than 10, but that’s not stopping the Holy Week ministry at Roser Memorial Community Church.

The Holy Week services begin with Maundy Thursday on April 9. Between noon and 2 p.m., the Roser Chapel will be open for a drop-in communion service. During the service, all COVID-19 guidelines will be observed including limiting the number of people in the chapel at any one time, disinfecting and cleaning, and maintaining social distancing of six feet between people.

This year’s Good Friday service, “He Took My Place,” will be broadcast live online April 10 at 7 p.m. on the Roser website. The service also will be available to watch after the live broadcast on the Roser YouTube page.

On Easter Sunday, April 12, the 10 a.m. traditional worship service will be streamed live online followed by the 5:30 p.m. SoulJourn contemporary worship service. During the 10 a.m. service, the flower cross traditionally decorated by congregation members will be in the sanctuary. Once the service concludes, it will be placed outside the church for the public to view, along with Easter lilies, which can be purchased in honor or memory of a loved one for $7. The names of those honored with the lilies will be in the Friday April 10 e-bulletin.

Currently, the church is closed to the public but the chapel remains open Monday through Friday 9 a.m. to 3 p.m. for individual prayer and meditation. A sanitizing station is located inside the door and the chapel is cleaned and sanitized twice daily.

The Roser Food Pantry also remains open to offer assistance to the community. While the food pantry is well-funded financially due to generous donations, the ability of volunteers to purchase items in bulk has been diminished by the current demand on supplies due to the coronavirus’s effect on the community. Volunteers are asking for help in purchasing needed supplies including canned soups, vegetables, beans, meat and fish, peanut butter, jelly, boxed meals such as macaroni and cheese, canned fruit, fruit juice, rice, pasta and cereal. Donations can be dropped off in front of the church office at 512 Pine Ave. in Anna Maria during office hours. A cart for the food pantry is located just outside the office door for donations. A full list of needed items is available online.

To request assistance from the food pantry, contact a pastor or make a prayer request, contact the church office at 941-778-0414 or email info@roserchurch.com.

Related coverage

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Local businesses lend a hand to the community

Local businesses lend a hand to the community

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Business, Restaurants | Bars.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – Local businesses are reaching out a helping hand to community members amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

Minnie’s Beach Café, at 5360 Gulf Drive in Holmes Beach, is offering free breakfasts and lunches to local kids in need. In addition, if anyone is having trouble finding fresh eggs, produce or any items other than paper goods, the staff at the café is willing to help. Call the restaurant with what you’re looking for and, if they have it, the staff is willing to sell supplies to the public. And if you need something but can’t get out and live locally, they’ll deliver your order to you. The restaurant also is offering freshly prepared food to-go. Minnie’s Beach Café can be reached at 941-778-4140. The restaurant is open for pick up from 7 a.m. to 2 p.m. daily.

The Sandbar Restaurant and Mar Vista are both offering farm fresh organic produce boxes to the public. Each box of vegetables comes straight from Worden Farms and features an assortment of salad greens, root vegetables, culinary herbs, cooking greens and other organic veggies. Each box is $30 with orders delivered to The Sandbar on Thursdays for pick up after 1 p.m. and to Mar Vista on Thursdays for pick up after 2 p.m. The vegetable boxes are the farmer’s choice and cannot be customized.

Both restaurants also have a menu of freshly prepared dishes for pick up along with a selection of grocery items including eggs, cheese, fresh meat and seafood, pasta, fresh vegetables and bottles of wine, beer and liquor. For more information, or to place your order, visit Mar Vista online to order or The Sandbar online to order. Pickup from both locations is available daily from 11 a.m. to 9 p.m.

Mar Vista is located at 760 Broadway St. on Longboat Key. The Sandbar is at 100 Spring Ave. in Anna Maria.

Over in Cortez, the Swordfish Grill and Tiki Bar also is offering not only some of the restaurant’s most popular dishes to-go but groceries, bait, ice, deli supplies and sandwiches, beer, wine and liquor for pick up by land or by boat. The food menu and available groceries change daily as do the groceries available which range from fresh vegetables to milk and eggs, seafood, deli meats and cheeses, fresh bread and even a few paper goods. The restaurant, located at 4628 119th St. W. or at mile marker 49 by boat, is accepting orders online or by phone at 941-798-2035.

Related coverage

 

Roser Food Pantry needs your help

 

Restaurants rocked by coronavirus pandemic

 

Island bars sobered by governor’s decision

Anna Maria issues emergency order prohibiting vacation rental reservations

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – Mayor Dan Murphy has issued a state of emergency order that temporarily prohibits new reservations being taken for vacation rental stays of less than 30 days in the city of Anna Maria.

The emergency order is part of the city’s response to the coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.

The temporary rental reservation prohibition is effective of Wednesday, March 25.

“There shall be no new reservations for an arrival date of March 26 through June 30 of less than 30 days. Reservations with an arrival date on or subsequent to July 1 are excluded from this order,” the emergency order says.

Reservations can still be made for short-term rental stays that begin on July 1 or later.

“If a rental of 30 days or more during the period between 4 p.m. March 25 and June 30 is cancelled before the end of the 30-day period, that vacation rental shall not be permitted to be made available for rental, or be rented, for the balance of that 30-day period,” the order says.

“The occupancy of all vacation rentals beginning 4 p.m. March 25 and until June 30, regardless of when rented, shall be capped 24 hours a day based upon the allowed overnight occupancy of such vacation rental,” the order says.

This means the number of rental guests and any additional temporary visitors to the vacation rental property cannot exceed at any time the maximum occupancy allowed according to the city’s annual vacation rental registration program.

The emergency order references Chapter 27 of city code and notes misleading advertising shall be strictly enforced.

The order says that as of 4 p.m. on Wednesday, March 25, it shall be considered fraudulent and unlawful to fail to include the following two statements on any vacation rental advertisement made while the reservation restrictions remain in place:

  • “On Anna Maria Island, all restaurants are closed except for takeout and all bars are closed;
  • “All persons who have arrived in Florida from New York, New Jersey and Connecticut have been ordered by the State of Florida to isolate or quarantine for a period of 14 days from the time of entry in State of Florida or the duration of the person’s presence in State of Florida, whichever is shorter,” the order says.

“This order is deemed necessary to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of the city of Anna Maria due to the evolving nationwide COVID-19 regulations and occurrences including but not limited to the shelter in place orders in 12 different states, the need to reduce gatherings of people in compliance with CDC directives, the closures of a massive number of Florida hotels and motels and the order from the State of Florida that certain persons arriving from out of state must shelter in place for a period of 14 days upon arrival,” the order says.

Murphy will review the emergency order at least once every seven days to determine whether it needs to remain in place to protect the health, safety and welfare of the citizens of Anna Maria.

“Violations of this order shall be punished as provided in Section 2-271 of the Anna Maria City Code, including, but not limited to:

  • The suspension or revocation of the vacation rental’s registration;
  • Removal of tenants in the vacation rental resulting for such reservation in violation of this order;
  • Criminal penalties against both vacation rental owners and vacation rental management companies and personnel;
  • Every day of non-compliance will be punished by separate fines levied against both the vacation rental owner and the vacation rental management company in the amount of $500 per day of non-compliance,” the order says.

“Days of non-compliance under this order shall include both the days of advertisements of each vacation rental in violation of this order and the days of rental entered into in violation of this order,” the order says.

Murphy signed and issued the emergency order on Tuesday, March 24. As a courtesy, he sent a copy to County Administrator Cheri Coryea that afternoon.

“Good move Mayor. Thanks,” Coryea wrote in her response.

Three potentially impacted members of Anna Maria’s vacation rental community declined comment when contacted by The Sun.

Manatee County public beaches closing Friday 

Manatee County public beaches closing Friday 

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Archives.

MANATEE COUNTY – In reaction and response to the ongoing coronavirus (COVID-19) concerns, Manatee County’s public beaches will be closed as of Friday, March 20 at 6 a.m.

Manatee County Public Safety Director Jacob Saur made this announcement with Sarasota County officials on Thursday afternoon at a 3 p.m. press conference at the Sarasota County Emergency Operations Center.

Sarasota County’s public beaches will close at 6 a.m. on Saturday morning, March 21.

Manatee County issued a beach closure-related press release at 3 p.m. Thursday.

Regarding the public beaches in Manatee County, the press release said, “Parking lots will be closed and signs placed to alert drivers, and we expect that most people will heed that advice.”

Manatee County public beaches closing Friday
The Coquina Beach parking lot in Bradenton Beach will be closed as of Friday morning. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

The parking lots referred to are at the three county beaches on Anna Maria Island – Coquina Beach and Cortez Beach in Bradenton Beach and Manatee Beach in Holmes Beach.

What it means

On Thursday afternoon, Holmes Beach Police Chief Bill Tokajer issued a press release regarding the county’s announcement.

“The Holmes Beach Police Department and Code Compliance Department are enforcing this policy by eliminating public parking. We will continue to proactively patrol the beach to be sure our residents and guests are following the guidance of social distancing. The gates at the public beach located at 4000 Gulf Drive will be locked. Many additional parking areas will be changed to no parking zones. This reduces Holmes Beach’s right of way parking by 70 to 80%. The enforcement guidelines will change based on the daily observations,” Tokajer said in his press release.

When contacted, Tokajer also said the Island’s vacation rental companies are being updated on the closures and any developments that occur.

Manatee County public beaches closing Friday
Folks enjoyed the last few hours of normal beach operations at Manatee Beach Thursday afternoon. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Lt. John Cosby from the Bradenton Beach Police Department said, “Resort guests, those who live on the Island and those who can find a legal public parking space outside of those areas that are closed will still have access to the beach at this time. We still want you to keep the six-foot distance and no groups larger than 10.”

Cosby said the city of Bradenton Beach currently has no plans to close the public beach access points, some of which are located at city street ends and provide limited or no public parking.

Manatee County public beaches closing Friday
On Thursday afternoon, beachgoers enjoyed the final hours of Coquina Beach being open. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

A one-sentence message posted at the city of Anna Maria website Thursday says, “All beaches in the city of Anna Maria will be closed effective 6 a.m. Friday 3/20/20 until further notice.”

Anna Maria Mayor Dan Murphy was not available for comment after the announcement was made Thursday afternoon.

County statements

In Thursday’s press release, County Administrator Cheri Coryea said, “Each day as our local situation has changed and new advisories have been sent, Manatee County residents have heeded warnings and taken official advice seriously. We’re hoping for more of the same with our beach announcement.”

The press release notes Manatee County lifeguards will remain on duty from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily to ensure the safety of those who disregard the closure. A double red flag, indicating no swimming, will fly from lifeguard stands.

“Manatee County Code Enforcement Officers will assist the Island communities enforcing the beach closure. The Anna Maria Island Trolley will continue to operate,” the press release says.

While the Coquina Beach Cafe will be closing, for now, the Anna Maria Island Beach Cafe at Manatee Beach will remain open.

Manatee County public beaches closing Friday
The concession at Manatee Beach will remain open during the beach closures. – Joe Hendricks | Sun

Coryea said the decision was made to close beaches with careful input from the mayors on Anna Maria Island, and after speaking with Sarasota County officials in order to continue the close coordination of the two counties during the coronavirus outbreak.

“This is not a step we take lightly to close our beaches, but together with the advice of the public health officials we believe it is a step that’s in the public’s best interest,” Coryea said in the press release.

“Our primary concern is the health and safety of our residents and visitors and the people they return home to. The leadership of the Island cities of Bradenton Beach, Holmes Beach, Anna Maria and the Town of Longboat Key collectively brainstormed this decision and will have the authority to manage the impacts in their community,” Coryea said in the press release.

Coryea, Manatee County Sheriff Rick Wells, Manatee County Department of Health Officer Dr. Jennifer Bencie and Saur will provide more details on the local COVID-19 response during a press conference Friday afternoon at 2 p.m.

For a full list of closures and cancellations, visit www.mymanatee.org/coronavirus.

Related coverage

 

Manatee County declares state of emergency

 

First coronavirus death in Manatee County

 

Holmes Beach mayor declares state of emergency

Roser Church moves services online

Roser Church moves services online

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Anna Maria Island, Churches, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – After taking into consideration guidance from the National Centers for Disease Control and the concerns of parishioners, leadership at Roser Memorial Community Church made the decision March 17 to close the church’s doors to the public, temporarily moving all worship services online.

The closure of the church building has caused the cancellation of the popular senior aerobics class RoserRobics and the church’s annual Easter cantata, planned for March 29 as well as other programming.

For now, everyone is invited to join the church online with both the 10 a.m. Sunday traditional worship service and the 5:30 p.m. Sunday SoulJourn contemporary worship service being broadcast live online. Previous worship services can be viewed any time on the church’s YouTube channel.

In addition to the Sunday worship services, regular bible studies also will continue online at the church’s website. Terrific Tuesday bible studies will take place live online at 6:15 p.m. on Tuesdays with previous sessions available to view on YouTube at any time.

All other planned church events and meals are currently canceled.

The Roser Thrift Shop also is temporarily closed due to coronavirus concerns.

The Roser Food Pantry remains open to those in need by appointment only. Please call the church office at 941-778-0414 to schedule an appointment or if you wish to drop off a donation. Recommended items for donation include cereal, soup, canned fruits and vegetables, fruit juices and dried rice, potatoes and pasta. For more information, visit the food pantry online.

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Youth flag football finals names three champions

Youth flag football finals names three champions

Written by Monica Simpson on . Posted in Football, Sports.

ANNA MARIA – The youth flag football winter season came to a close March 10 with the three championship games played at The Center of Anna Maria Island. Of the six teams that played, only three would be named the victors.

In the eight-to 10-year old league, HSH Designs came out on top with a 39-16 victory over Cool Today.

Cool Today’s Peyton Hovda had two rushing touchdowns in the game and was named the league’s male MVP for the season. Hovda also completed a two-point conversion reception for his team.

The league’s female MVP, HSH’s Savanna Coba, caught two passes, one for six points.

In addition to being named Most Improved Player, Noah Rigney made a catching touchdown, along for an extra point, for HSH Designs.

Cale Rudacille was voted the recipient of the Sportsmanship Award for the season.

Bailey Cain scored two points for Cool Today with a two-point play. Teammate Chad Nunez made two catches in the game.

Earning the win, Connor Samblis made a rushing touchdown for HSH Designs. Charlie Neri, in the quarterback position, recorded three passing throws.

HSH’s Chase Signor made a touchdown catch to add to his two additional receptions in the game.

Contributing to the offensive game for HSH Designs, Sterling Holiday finished the championship game with three grabs.

Ugly Grouper took home the big win against Slim’s Place in the 11-to 13-year old league.

Slim’s Place’s JM Feeney scored a rushing touchdown and was named the male MVP. Gabriella Gilbert had a running score herself for Ugly Grouper. Gilbert was voted the female MVP for the predominantly middle school league.

Despite the loss, Jaxon Rush caught the football for a touchdown, along with five other big catches. Ben Rigney made a nice catch for Slim’s Place.

With four rushing touchdowns for the win for team Ugly Grouper, Ashton Hovda can be seen as the championship game’s MVP.

Jackson Zoller made four critical receptions for the Ugly Grouper offense in addition to scoring two points in a conversion play. Teammates and brothers Mikey and Frankie Coleman both had catches of their own in the game. M. Coleman had a one-point conversion to add to his team’s scoring.

Ugly Grouper’s scoring was made complete with a touchdown by Brennan Gunter.

Additional league awards went to Matthew Hennesey as the Most Improved Player and Jack Mattick receiving the Sportsmanship award.

In perhaps the most anticipated youth flag football game of the season, Hashmark Sports took the field against MuniPlan.

Playing without their second-round draft choice, Blake Balais, the league’s Quarterback of the Year Tuna McCracken was missing a key target. Despite the deficit, MuniPlan put 19 points on the scoreboard with rushing touchdowns by McCracken.

MuniPlan’s offensive action was spread across the roster with two catches by Tyler Brewer, Morgan Horesh and David Daigle. McCracken caught the football for a single statistic in the game.

In their big win, Hashmark Sports’ Ian Godefry, voted league Most Improved Player, made threw for three touchdowns. Team MVP in the game could be given to Shawn Balvin with five total catches, three for touchdowns. Balvin scored an extra point to add to his game statistics.

Nate Costello, league MVP, and Chance Howard also each scored a touchdown and extra point.

Hashmark Sports’ Noah Costello had two sacks in the game, with brother Nate marking a single sack.

Defensively, Alex McCauley’s interception was a big part of the team’s win against the number one seed team for the championship.

Cole Carter was bestowed the Sportsmanship award in the award ceremony that followed the final game to end another youth flag football season.

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Hardship provision added to building moratorium

Hardship provision added to building moratorium

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Anna Maria, Community News.

ANNA MARIA – The 60-day temporary emergency building moratorium enacted Wednesday, March 4 now includes a new hardship provision to allow some projects to break ground despite the moratorium.

The emergency moratorium prohibits the city of Anna Maria’s building department from processing new building permit applications for the construction of a new single-family home. The emergency moratorium also applies to the renovation of an existing home that increases the square footage or lot coverage. The emergency moratorium applies to all such projects not in the city’s permitting pipeline as of March 4.

The emergency moratorium does not apply to swimming pool permits or renovations that do not increase square footage or lot coverage.

To be followed by a six-month, non-emergency moratorium, the building moratorium gives the city time to study the potential implementation of impact fees that would be charged to builders upon the completion of their projects, according to city officials. Impact fees would help the city offset the impacts new construction, including large vacation rental homes, is having on city streets, drainage, stormwater projects, recreational facilities and more.

A moratorium also gives the city time to review and revise the existing building codes that no longer accomplish the city’s intended goal, and to implement new codes to address construction site parking and staging areas, construction delivery times and other issues not currently addressed by city code.

The city also wants to reduce the time it takes for builders to get their projects permitted.

Hardship waiver

In response to the initial industry reaction to the emergency building moratorium, the commission’s Thursday, March 12 adoption of Ordinance 20-865 added the hardship waiver process to the 60-day moratorium.

A hardship waiver, if granted, would allow a not-yet-permitted project to begin the permitting process and begin construction while the building moratorium is in effect.

Each hardship waiver request will be granted or denied by Mayor Dan Murphy on a case-by-case basis. Those who wish to challenge a waiver denial can appeal to the city commission, whose ruling would be final.

According to the ordinance, an application for a waiver must include the following:

  • A complete building permit application and complete building plans;
  • The basis for the hardship, which may include the reason or reasons the permit application was not yet submitted;
  • The intended use of the house to be built;
  • Whether the applicant is currently a resident of Anna Maria or intends their new home to be their permanent residence;
  • Any other basis for a finding of hardship.

Applicants have until Tuesday, March 31 to request a hardship waiver.

Commissioner Jon Crane said he doesn’t want hardship waivers automatically rubber-stamped.

Crane and Commissioner Carol Carter said those seeking waivers need to verify and prove their hardship.

The commission adopted Ordinance 20-865 by a 4-1 vote, with Crane voting in opposition.

Public input

During public input, Moss Builders co-owner Jim Moss provided an example of a legitimate hardship.

Moss said he has a female client who is selling her home up north and wants to move to Anna Maria. Moss said she already bought her property, hired a contractor, engineer and architect and took out a construction loan to build her new “dream home.”

Moss said the woman already took her first draw on the construction loan and he previously anticipated starting the city permitting process in approximately two weeks.

Moss also said significant changes made to the existing building codes could destroy his client.

He noted that a couple of commissioners recently built new homes and he hopes they don’t impose codes that are more restrictive than those in place when they built their homes.

“Treat your neighbor as yourself,” Moss told the commission.

Extended moratorium on the way

The emergency moratorium provides the commission the time needed to enact a six-month temporary building moratorium.

First read on March 4, the six-month moratorium’s enabling ordinance, Ordinance 20-864, will be reviewed by the Planning and Zoning board before it returns to commissioners for second reading and final adoption.

As currently written, the six-month moratorium would prohibit new pool permits. Public input provided by builders and others during the upcoming planning board and city commission hearings will help craft the final language that establishes the six-month moratorium.

Coronavirus concerns cause event cancellations

Coronavirus concerns prompt event cancellations

Written by SUN contributor on . Posted in Entertainment, Featured.

ANNA MARIA ISLAND – If you were planning on attending an event on Anna Maria Island over the next couple of weeks, your plans may be changing.

Events and programs scheduled to take place through April 17 at the Florida Maritime Museum are canceled or postponed, including all classes at the Folk School, lectures and Music on the Porch.

The city of Anna Maria’s weekly Farmers Market at City Pier Park has been canceled until further notice. The seasonal farmer’s market was scheduled to continue into mid-May.

The Anna Maria Island Moose Lodge in Bradenton Beach is closed until at least Monday, March 23. Queen (of Hearts) sales will not resume until further notice.

Because of the COVID-19 virus, all activities except Mass have been temporarily canceled at St. Bernard Catholic Church, including the blood drive, pancake breakfast, coffee/donuts, adult and youth education, the parish mission and the exercise class. The office will remain open.

The Anna Maria Island Garden Club flower show, scheduled for March 18 at Roser Memorial Community Church, is canceled.

The Grass Roots concert planned to take place at The Center of Anna Maria Island on March 19 has been postponed to December 3 by the Manatee Performing Arts Center. Ticket holders can contact Manatee Performing Arts Center at 941-748-5875 to inquire about refunds. Tickets for the show are still on sale and previously purchased tickets will be valid for the new date. The Center of Anna Maria Island remains open for regularly scheduled classes, fitness center hours, sports, youth programs and other programming. Operations Director Aris Thompson said that regular updates will be posted on the nonprofit’s social media page. Members also can contact The Center at 941-778-1908 for more information.

The Island Branch Library canceled its book sale, scheduled for March 20 and 21. No reschedule date has been set.

The Center of Anna Maria Island’s 27th Annual Tour of Homes, scheduled for Saturday, March 21, will be postponed until 2021 due to coronavirus concerns. A press release from The Center states that tickets purchased for this year’s Tour, along with raffle tickets for the final Tour quilt, will be good next year. Ticket’s purchased for the quilt drawing will be included in next year’s drawing.

West Manatee Fire Rescue commissioners have canceled their upcoming March 24 meeting. Their next meeting will take place at 6 p.m. on April 21 with a budget workshop at 5 p.m.

The March 30 Tourist Development Council meeting has been canceled; the Bradenton Area Convention and Visitors Bureau is expected to announce the rescheduled meeting soon.

The Beach’n Food Truck & Music Festival scheduled for Saturday, April 11 at City Field in Holmes Beach has been postponed. Event organizers are expected to provide future updates and/or a future rescheduled date.

Manatee County School District students will be getting an extra week of spring break until Monday, March 30 with employees returning to work March 23. All extracurricular activities and sports also are canceled until March 30.

Amid coronavirus concerns, the Holmes Beach Art Walk scheduled for Friday, March 13 was canceled. Both the Artist’s Guild Gallery and Island Gallery West remain open to customers during business hours as does the newly reopened Sand Dollar gift shop.

The Anna Maria Island Privateers postponed their March 14 Thieves Market in response to concerns about the spread of coronavirus. The new date for the outdoor market is April 11 at Coquina Beach.

Health concerns also prompted parade organizer, Sean Murphy of The Beach Bistro, to postpone the 21st Annual St. Patrick’s Day Parade in Holmes Beach. In a March 12 Facebook post on the Bistro’s page, it was noted that the parade will be rescheduled for later in the year. The parade was previously scheduled to take place Sunday, March 15.

The Island Players closed their theater doors after performances on Sunday, March 15. The theater will reopen for the final show of the 2019-20 season, “Death by Design,” on April 30. The play runs through May 10. For ticketholders for performances of the current show, “Leading Ladies,” contact the box office for a refund for shows scheduled after March 15.

The Off Stage Ladies also announced that their April 8 meeting is canceled.

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Anna Maria enacts building moratorium

Anna Maria enacts building moratorium

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Archives.

ANNA MARIA – A 60-day emergency building moratorium is in effect in Anna Maria.

The emergency moratorium was enacted by the city commission’s 4-1 adoption of Ordinance 20-863 during an emergency meeting on Wednesday, March 4. Commissioner Amy Tripp opposed the emergency moratorium.

The moratorium stops the processing of city-issued building permits for new single-family residences or renovations that increase square footage or lot coverage. Residential projects that received a letter of no objection, a permit number or building permits before the close of business on March 4 can continue.

After enacting the moratorium, the commission heard on first reading Ordinance 20-864. If adopted on second and final reading at a future commission meeting, after review by the Planning and Zoning board, Ordinance 20-864 will enact an additional six-month moratorium.

Mayor requests moratorium

Mayor Dan Murphy requested the moratorium less than a week after the commission authorized him to spend $5,000 to research imposing impact fees on new construction. On Feb. 27, the commission also supported Murphy’s suggestion to review and revise the city’s building codes.

“It just doesn’t make sense to me to keep adding more units when we know what we’re creating,” Murphy said at the March 4 meeting.

Murphy said existing city codes that address drainage and flooding are not working well. He mentioned a new home recently built according to code on the 400 block of Pine Avenue.

“Pine Avenue was fine until that house was built. Now, every time it rains, we get a lake in the middle of Pine Avenue. I’ve got Public Works out there pumping it,” Murphy said.

“It’s continually an issue and it takes 45 minutes to an hour to get the water off that one spot,” Public Works Manager Dean Jones added.

Murphy said that’s just one example of flooding caused by new homes built according to current codes.

He also mentioned the wear and tear that construction vehicles and other trucks cause on city streets.

He said city rights of way are being damaged by the construction vehicles parking on them. He said staging areas are not adequately addressed by code and there are sometimes a dozen vehicles parked near a job site.

“I’m not saying we can solve all these issues in a vacuum. These issues need to be solved jointly between the city, the contractors and somebody with engineering expertise,” Murphy said.

Commissioner Jon Crane said his main concern is sea level rise: “Without getting too political, I’d like this city to be one that doesn’t doubt climate science.”

Language regarding sea level rise was added to “whereas” clauses of both moratorium ordinances.

Building activity

Building Official Luke Curtis said his department is currently dealing with 46 new residential buildings, 49 pool permits and two commercial buildings.

From January 2016 to present, the city issued 237 pool permits, 110 permits for new residential buildings, 48 permits for major exterior renovations, 31 permits for sheds, pergolas and other small structures, 12 permits for garages and four permits for new commercial buildings. Curtis said of the 451 permits issued during that period, 99 currently require the building department’s attention.

Tripp asked how many code ordinances there are to review. Curtis said he didn’t know, but the moratorium would provide time to review the codes line by line. Tripp said she was concerned about shutting down construction for six months to do so.

Builders’ reaction

Frank Agnelli and Darrin Wash were among the few builders who knew about the emergency meeting publicly noticed the previous afternoon.

Agnelli asked that letters of no objection also be considered as the start of a permitting process that continues during the moratorium.

“I’m not saying we don’t have issues with the parking and some of the job sites, but some of these codes in place are causing a lot of the issues we’re having,” Agnelli said.

Agnelli cited the dewatering requirements that result in pumps running that create unwanted noise in residential areas.

Agnelli said the cost of construction has increased by approximately $150 per square foot on the Island because of issues created by city codes.

Agnelli said some property owners spent a lot of money developing plans that have not yet been permitted and those may require revisions to comply with revised codes.

Agnelli said he has several homes permitted that don’t have pool permits. Murphy suggested pool permits be removed from the emergency ordinance to allow additional time, but he and City Attorney Becky Vose want pool permits included if the six-month moratorium is enacted.

“Do you realize the backlog you’re going to have in six months. You’re going to have more construction going on at one time after the moratorium,” Wash said.

Resident Sam Pakbaz agreed that the current codes require revision, but he questioned the work stoppage.

“What are the contractors supposed to do with the guys getting paid 10-15 bucks an hour? Are they going to fire them all?” Pakbaz said.

“A stop will hurt us. I have 15 families working for me. I’m sure Frank has twice that,” Wash said.

Commissioner Carol Carter said she understands the unintended consequences, but the commissioners must also represent the concerns of the residents who elected them.

Commissioner Joe Muscatello said the code review process must not be adversarial with the contractors.

“You have our word that the city will include contractors in the review process,” Murphy said.

Mayor provides pier lease update

Mayor provides pier lease update

Written by Joe Hendricks on . Posted in Archives.

ANNA MARIA – On Wednesday, Feb. 19, Mayor Dan Murphy provided city commissioners with an e-mail update regarding the request for proposals (RFP) the city issued in January seeking a new city pier tenant.

The new tenant will occupy the new city-owned restaurant and bait shop buildings at the T-end of the new pier.

“We don’t anticipate receiving any responses to the RFP until we are close to, or most likely on, the due date. This is the norm for any RFP process. Serious bidders take as much time as possible to perform their due diligence, evaluate the market and prepare a business case,” Murphy’s email update said.

“As of today, 10 restauranteurs have expressed interest in our outstanding RFP. That is not to say that all 10 will submit a bid, but a significant level of interest exists in the local hospitality community. We have received inquiries from St. Petersburg/Clearwater, Lakeland, Bradenton/Sarasota and Anna Maria Island,” Murphy wrote.

An optional meeting for interested bidders was scheduled for Wednesday, Feb. 26, at 10:30 a.m.

“Interested parties who may have open questions remaining would probably attend,” Murphy wrote.

“The final submission date for the RFP is Tuesday, March 10 at 1 p.m. The bids will be opened at that time, but only the name of the bidders will be disclosed. We will have 30 days to evaluate and rank the bids. Details of the bid contents are confidential during that evaluation process,” Murphy wrote.

When contacted Friday, Murphy said 14 parties have expressed interest or posed questions about leasing the pier buildings.

“There’s lots of interest out there. That makes me feel good,” he said.

Questions and answers

Upon request, Murphy shared a document containing written questions posed by potential tenants and the responses provided by the city. That document is referred to as Pier RFP Addendum #2 and it does not reveal the names of any potential bidders that posed questions.

In response to one question, the RFP addendum says there is no draft lease for potential tenants to review, but they can obtain a copy of the previous pier lease.

Current pier tenant Mario Schoenfelder’s lease expires in mid-December. In January, the commission rejected his final offer to pay $8,000 in initial monthly base rent as part of a new 10-year lease.

The addendum says it is negotiable as to whether the city will provide the pier tenant any allowance for the interior build-out of the city-owned pier buildings.

According to the questions posed and the answers given were:

  • The tenant will be required to obtain liability insurance for at least $2 million.
  • The tenant is allowed to sell retail items and merchandise.
  • Restaurant and bait shop patrons will have the shared use of the pier’s common areas.
  • Hours of operation are negotiable.
  • The bait shop can sell beer, the tenant’s ability to obtain a liquor license is negotiable and there is no city ordinance prohibiting liquor service on the pier.
  • Live music in the outside common area is negotiable, as is the tenant’s ability to place additional outdoor seating in the common area at the pier’s T-end.
  • Maintenance costs will be shared by the tenant and the city on a prorated basis, and those financial terms are negotiable.
  • Regarding menu expectations or requirements, the addendum says, “Good quality food.”
  • Regarding there being any city expectations or requirements for the restaurant’s name, the addendum says, “Yes – City Pier Restaurant, but negotiable.”
  • The city prefers that breakfast be served, but that is negotiable.
  • The number of parking spaces provided to the tenant will depend on how many seats the tenant proposes.
  • The city is unable to provide an estimate on the taxes and utilities to be paid by the tenant.
  • The city is unable to provide data regarding the average number of pier visitors in past years.
  • Potential bidders can request a tour of the pier and pier buildings with their own architect and/or builder.

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